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Saturday, December 3, 2011

It was magical. More than I ever could have imagined. I cried last night watching all these wide-eyed little girls take it all in, and then I cried all over again this morning looking back at it all. Because I'm kind of a crier...and I'm okay with it.

It really felt like the North Pole.

I took a few pictures during the day before the girls got there...

...but the magic unfolded about a billion fold once the stars came out.

And then little girls, dressed in their jammies, began to arrive and the rest was history.It all started with the Reindeer Food Bar--a buffet of reindeer treats for the girls to choose from to make their own special blends for Christmas Eve (a tradition--you sprinkle it in your driveway Christmas Eve to lure the reindeer, and then they have something to munch on while Santa's in your house). Oats and raisins, bread crumbs and cocoa...and special ingredients like glitter and flying powder.

And then a letter from Santa. He told the girls he had lost some things in our neighborhood and needed some help finding them.

The girls were happy to help, eagerly assembling into a long train. They set out with flashlights, scouring trees and lawns and sidewalks for Santa's cocoa mug, his pocketwatch, Rudolf's collar, Mrs. Clause's cookie sprinkles and a long list of other lost goods. Santa's so irresponsible.

Found his cocoa mug!

And that pocketwatch.

Somewhere between the end of our driveway and the first lost treasure, the crowd errupted into excited squeals. They spotted an elf, running fast across the street, diving into bushes with a jingle. My cheeks were aching--I laughed, I cried, I couldn't stand it. I wasn't sure how the elf would go over--there was the small chance of the Traumatic Christmas Party Bust of 2012 that sent kids screaming and crying back home--but I couldn't have asked for a better response. They went bananas--the lose-your-breath kind. They smiled, they pointed, they excitedly screamed. I teared up when I saw one of the girls run, beaming, to her mom. "I saw him! I saw him! I saw a real elf! I really did." I knew they'd probably never forget that moment. We never saw that elf's face, but he was with us, zig-zagging quickly a couple driveways ahead and suddenly disappearing.

It's not a Christmas party until someone reads "'Twas the Night Before Christmas..." (thank you, Dad, for adding so much magic to our party).

And the girls each brought a gift to exchange.

Party favors: Homemade Pillow Spray. I found several recipes online and ended up using water, 12-15 drops each of Spearmint (I liked it better than the peppermint) and Eucalyptus essential oils and a tiny bit of alcohol (vodka works) to keep the water and oil from separating. I found the spritzer bottles in the travel sized toiletries at Walmart.

We finished the night shimmying and shakin' our groove thang to Christmas carols in the driveway. Past our bedtime, just the way it's supposed to go.

I've been smiling ever since.

"He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe is as good as dead; his eyes are closed." ~Albert EinsteinFriday Photo Dump:Chris Schuette CD winners:

#4, Courtney: Aw, I love that you commented about loving that picture so much your heart hurts. I tell my lidos tht as I'm rocking them to bed some nights . . .'i love you all the way to the moon and back 600 million times, I love you do much my heart hurts so good with love'.

#181, Meredith: Love the bit about the eggs and red glitter...so my world right now!!

#71, Jen: Maybe I'm immature, but your comment when Nella was showing Laynie her food made me laugh out loud. They are SO cute

#267, Sara: Love your blog; have been distracted with life and haven't read in a while! So refreshing to be back! Love the "sea food" pic :)

#11, Katy: This post made me laugh. Thank you it was very much needed today. Love the pictures. :)

#241, Susan: What a special treat to be able to savor those moments with your girls! I also love to find new musicians. Thanks!

#43, Michelle: How cute! I love Florida in winter for the simple fact that days like that can still happen. Nothing beats a cold beach day playing in the sand. And the kissing pictures are the cutest!!

Returning sponsor, Every Scrap Countz (maker of those adorable crocheted headbands) has something new in her shop, and we are loving it, especially since it comes at an appropriate time when our temperatures are finally dropping enough to allow cute head wear.

Enter the owl hat.

Lord have mercy, I love my girls in hats, and this one is especially lovely with its colors, its braided ties and those cute pointy ears.

Use Code KELLE for 15% off, and one comment will be randomly selected from this post to win a free owl hat, courtesy of Every Scrap Countz.

Have a great rest of the weekend.

ADDENDUM: Party Details if you'd like to recreate some magic.

Invite--I designed it and had it printed at WHCC. Girls were asked to bring a flashlight and a $10 gift to exchange.Milk Bottles--Starbucks Bottled Coffee drinks like this one. Available at grocery stores. I just saved the bottles, removed labels (use a little Goof Off), and washed.Retro Straws--my favorite Etsy party novelty shop, Hey Yo Yo. I order stuff from them for all my parties. Their shop is loaded with inexpensive adorable retro treats.Christmas Baker's Twine--It's actually fine yarn. You can get a huge skein at Joanns that will last for 10 years.Red labels on Milk Bottles and Reindeer Food Jars: THESE ONES from Martha Stewart Crafts (available at Michaels and Joanns). Invite, Signs and Food Tags--I designed and printed myself. If anyone can tell me how to share printables and where to put them, I'd be happy to share.Party Favors--Pillow Mist made with travel size mister bottles I bought at Walmart (in trial sized toiletry section). I mixed water with 10 drops each of spearmint and eucalyptus essential oils, plus about a teaspoon of vodka (to keep the water and oil from separating). I also found peppermint lipgloss in Target dollar section.Peppermint "Red Carpet" leading into house--one roll of Christmas wrapping paper, secured to cement with duct tapeChristmas decor--Small Christmas village trees (I got mine for 79 cents a piece at Walmart), tealights, wood slabs (Brett cut from a fallen branch), a bag of fake snow, leftover white "fur" fabric from Lainey's ballet recital costume, paper snowflakes we cut out ourselves (free!). The rest was pulled from Christmas decorations in our attic.

Reindeer Food--We used disposable bread tins, measuring cups and the following choices: oats, raisins, bread crumbs, crushed potato chips, cocoa, flying powder (flour), red and silver glitter. The girls created their concoctions in Ball jam jars.Scavenger Hunt--Santa left the following things along a path in our neighborhood: his sleigh key, a cocoa cup, Rudolf's collar, Mrs. Clause's cookie sprinkles, a large candy cane, his white glove, his hat, special greens the reindeer eat (a bunch of parsley), an ornament, his driver's license, his pocket watchFood: Snickerdoodles, sugar cookies and my favorite candy cane cookies. And milk. Easy and inexpensive.Elf: Talk to Santa. He controls them, and I have nothing to do with it. The rest of it? When in doubt, hang more white lights. And then more. And then one more strand.The key to the ambience at any party lies in a simple recipe: low lighting, candles and music. Crank up those Christmas carols, Baby.

473 comments:

What a beautiful night of memories that you have made for all of those little girls. I'm hoping to start some memorable traditions with my little girl who just turned one.Can't wait for this Christmas.

Oh Kelle every little thing is perfect! My goodness you are a wonder!! Not one of those girls will forget that ever. I love the Santa treasure hunt, with the mystery elf, I've got the silliest grin on my face just picturing it! You are the queen of flying the holiday freak flag, and I mean that in a totally amazed and you-go-girl way. Wonder if the owl hats can be delivered to oz, I know my little niece would look cute in one.

OH.MY.GOODNESS.....AMAZING. This made me cry! I either want to be a kid all over again or can not wait until my little one is old enough to do this!!! Thanks as always for being for creative, inspiring and kind in letting as all in!!!

Kelle...Thank you. Lila can't stop talking about the "magical night." You know I'm not a superfluous girl, and yet I'm going to say it again: THIS is what it's all about. You've outdone yourself. The party was not only a success, it was a memory. One of the best. One that I, and more importantly, one that Lila will carry forever as what Christmas is truly all about.Love.Jen

I love that party idea....whenever I have kids I will have to do this. YAY I won a CD! :) I'm going to give it to my mom for Christmas. She loves music like that! and I love those owl hats they are super cute

oh my GOOODDDDDDNESSSSSS~!!!! I wanna cry because of how much magic you managed to ooze through my computer screen! I LOVE IT ALL so much that I just might recreate this for my little girls and her friends. What a fab fab fab idea.

Wow. I don't even know what to say. That night for girls must have been amazing. Thank you for the inspiration that you always give me..slow down and enjoy life. Thank you. I am so happy I found your blog. I just love it!

I am in awe of your creativity, energy and zest for enjoying life and having fun! All the details that you put into this party are amazing!! While I may not ever be able to complete a party quite as cool as this one, I am definitely inspired to try!! Thank you SO much for sharing!

I am in tears, envy and serious planning trying to figure out how I can pull off this amazing idea before Christmas for my boys. You are awesome. I may have to wait until next year, but I AM doing this! Love, love, love it!

Oh my goodness. I am a crier too, so I obviously teared up while reading this post. You are incredible...I'm so impressed my all of the tiny, perfect details of that party. I'm taking notes for when I have kids...I hope I'm as fun as you!

We have a Christmas tradition of reading The Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve - 3 littles in their jammies, pillowcase stockings hung up in our fireplace. I sew a different Xmas thing made of felt onto the pillowcase each year, and this year it's going to be a robin, as we have a very friendly one in the veg patch! This year we are starting a new tradition of new jammies on Christmas Eve - even for Grandma!Your posts help remind me to stand in awe and wonder, even when it feels like I have to hold on to something anchored down for fear of being blown away by all the busy-ness of our lives...so thankyou!P.S I'm a crier too - one of my girls has taken to whispering "You're not going to cry, are you!?" when we settle down to watch a film!

Kelle, you are an amazing Mama! Those little girls are so lucky to have such a creative and imaginative Mommy like you! I love how high you fly your Christmas freak flag! What a magical night you created for those little girls and their Mama's!

Good Lord woman do you ever sleep! ;) seriously talented fabulous stuff! Love it. reindeer flight path and all! One of my favourite memories of new years eve in Australia was being deliciously scared to death of a 'ghost' - our hosts' polish grandma in a sheet- come roaring out of the scrub in the dark corners the light from the bonfire couldn't reach. We all ran screaming. I still love to remember this.

i am filing this idea away in the "i want to do this when im a mom someday!" you are way too cute, and so creative.the way you enjoy little moments and describe them in every post makes me cry every time!

That's the cutest most magical kid party ever! I just want to be 3 again to be part of it!! I'll take notes to throw such a great party for my girl in a couple of years. You have such an amazing way of creating unforgettable memories for your girls, such an inspiration.XO, Caro

How wondrous! "Santa"'was ruined for me at the ripe old age of 3. I'm working overtime to make sure my littles believe until it's embarrassing. I'm definitely stealing this idea for next year! Thanks for contributing to the magic of Christmas!

I am going to HAVE to do this for my future children. What lucky girls to have a mama like you! These girls will remember this for the rest of their lives... talking about it when they are mamas themselves. Beautiful work Kelle!

Absolutely STUNNING!! You did an amazing job mama! This is a memory these girls are never going to forget <3 and what an amazing brother, err, elf, for stopping by to make such an exciting treasure hunt for the girls! Have you thought about having an elf come and stay with the girls till Christmas? The Elf on the Shelf is gaining popularity, because it's so widely available, but the whole idea that the elf has come to spy on the kids for Santa didn't appeal to me, and then the kids are not supposed to touch it either. What fun is that? We chose to do the Elf Magic elves, where the children are encouraged to take the elves along on their daily adventures, and the elves come alive for their own adventures during the night. This is our 4th year doing this, and our children, enjoy it immensely! Lately our elves have had marshmallow fights in the living room, zip lined through the house decorating with tons of candy canes, went joyriding in our car and brought home doughnuts for everyone (the little stinkers took a tiny little bite out of every one of them first though!), and in the morning the kids will wake to find the elves have left a huge mess of tissue paper and gift bags around the living room while gift wraping themselves, and hiding somewhere in the mess. :-) http://www.elf-magic.com/ You can check their website to see if there are any "North Pole Supply Posts" near you where you can purchase the elves, you can read about many of the elves "Elfcapades". Also, a friend recently started a group on Facebook called Elfcapades-What our elves have done, for host families to share their adventures.

You've reminded me of how special this time of year can truly be and how amazing my childhood Christmases really were. You're an inspiration and you make me want to be a mommy sooner rather than later!

what a great night to be a little girl. looks like so much fun. absolutely adoreable. love every minute of it. the photos. the desserts. the hunt. just perfect. you should be a party planner. i bet it is a party the girls will never forget. luv the pjs. hats. amazing. (:

Wow....wow....wow. Honestly, where do you come up with these ideas?! And not even just that, how do you find the time to do all of this?! The girls who came to the party are so lucky, and Lainey and Nella are even luckier to have such an amazing mama...what wonderful memories :)

Somewhere in the middle of the elf running around and those amazing milk jars you made I was waiting for the pic of the unicorn that flew over your house! WOW! What an amazing party and such great memories. When your girls are older and tell these childhood stories people are going to look at them with their jaws on the ground!

OK,You are FREAKING AMAZING!!!! My heart is pounding through my chest. I am crying..happy tears for those children! The gift you give these children is just unreal..amazing..I have no words. Have a wonderful holiday season,friend in my head :) xoxo

Besides Nella's birth story - which got me hooked... This is my favorite post ever! I have slowly perused the pictures 3 times now, tearing up, just knowing what a bit of magic you have added to each of those little ones lives. And to their mamas. What precious precious memories! Merry Christmas!

Wow, it's actually amazing, absolutely amazing how much great fun that party seems like, you should be really proud of yourself guys, it seems like it was an absolutely wonderful time, honestly. Your ideas are so genius, I'd love to go to a party like this!

Whoa...it. was. magic. Waterworks, on! I am so doing this for my boys. You are brilliant, amazing, genius and inspired. I adore every single detail...Now, can you hire your dad out for book readings? XOXO..thanks for reminding me each week what IT is all about. Many blessings to you and some sleep, because given this magical memory, I know you have not had much in the last week...tending to the work of unicorns (and reindeer) happens best in the wee hours of the night, ya know?

You seriously are an amazing mom! I was crying reading about how the girls reacted because it IS so magical! Your babies will forever remember what an awesome childhood they had and these memories will last forever!

Holy smokes! Your phone photos were awesome but don't hold a candle to the bright, awesomeness of that party! So fun and magical. I'd love to talk to Lainey about it. I bet she is over-the-moon giddy. xo

I'm not sure if it's the third trimester hormones, or just witnessing the love that you have for your family, but I've definitely got alligator tears rolling down my face. What an amazing night it looks to have been!

Oh.my.gosh!! :) Such magic you created for those little girls! Heck - at the ripe old age of 61, I'd have been so totally enthralled to be a guest! I can only imagine how excited your little guests must have been!

Thank-you for sharing a night of Christmas magic with us!............Rosemary

Who needs the magic of Disney when they could come to your house?? What an awesome looking event....the hours and time you must have spent planning were lots but I'm sure it was just a magical evening!!!! Thanks for inspiring!!!

W O W !!! How DO you do it all, seemingly? That party - it made me wish I was a little kid and was invited! I so envy this..You are so inspiring and awesome. I love that Papa Rik was there too. (lovin' Papa Rik)... It all looks so magical and just perfect! And the owl hat - oh my! my tiny granddaughter..well, her room and everything is done by her mommy in OWLS. She would look so cute in the hat! Just like Nella does.. love to you, Kelle, and all of your family, incl papa rik. Love from the Blog Mama~

Oh, oh oh the parties you throw...Can I please be your neighbour? I can't wait until my daughter is just a little bit older with some friends that we can throw some awesome parties like that. Amazing and magical...just like Christmas should be.

That party looks like it came straight out of a storybook! You seriously need to write a book for other moms about how to put fun crafts and activities together. Lainey and Nella are so blessed to have you as their mom!

Wowser! We have 3 little kids with Birthdays just before Christmas...making the season a little more celebratory, but also crazy....anyway Im planning on borrowing some of these ideas for their party - just too cute & too special not to! Thanks for the inspiration :)

This post warmed my heart. I've been trying to get into the Christmas spirit, and this just kicked it into high gear. I may have to steal this idea and party with my nieces next year. Thanks for the lovely idea! Oh...and Merry Christmas! :)

Oh, Kelle... you had me in tears with your North Pole party! I truly hope that I one day live in a neighborhood like yours where we have such wonderful memories to make together... until then, I just rock it out with my little one!!

This is just...so fantastic. I cried while reading it. This is my first holiday season truly away from home in the Midwest (I'm in LA), and last night when I watched Elf it suddenly hit me: there will be no snow this year in the weeks leading up to December 25. Thankfully I'll be going home for five days for Christmas to celebrate, but until then, I'm stuck trying to make sense of the sunshine and warmth and trying to find a place for this whole holiday season to exist in harmony with them. Anyway. Your posts make me want a home, so thank you for giving me the inspiration to strive to get myself outta this apartment. Your blog is my favorite. Sending much love from California.

I love everything about this idea. You are so creative and such a wonderful party hostess. I love planning the events, and I might have to tuck this idea away for next year when I'm not out of my mind from exhaustion. Corah Beth was born on November 21st, so I'm learning to juggle two children and sleep deprivation. Some days I soar and other days I crash.

Oh my goodness, that is the best idea I think I've ever seen! You are just a crafting genius! You inspire my own Christmas craze- I love it! This time if year is supposed to be magical. I know that if I had gone to one of those parties when I was little, I would never have forgotten it! They will forever remember that special night. I'm saving this as an idea for my own kids one day! :)

i was teary-eyed just reading and gazing at your amamzing photos of such a fun and memorable Christmasy evening!! what an incredible time it looks like! sounds like it was a big hit and will have to be a yearly tradition :)

LOVE IT! I have always wondered how to do printables as well, but just searched and you might try:http://static.googleusercontent.com/external_content/untrusted_dlcp/www.google.com/en/us/google-d-s/docsQuickstartGuide.pdf

OMG! Cuteness overload! I soooo wanna go to the North Pole right now! Seriously, your next book should be on how to throw children's parties...Martha Stewart eat your heart how...better yet...Martha who? Let's take pre orders NOW!